MasterChef Australia (2009–…): Season 14, Episode 40 - Episode #14.40 - full transcript

ANNOUNCER: Previously
on MasterChef Australia,

where there's smoke, there's fire...

JOCK: Elevate your dishes
to the max flame.

..especially with Dave Pynt
in the house.

You absolutely
nailed this challenge.

MEL: You have just brought
biblical amounts of flavour.

And a pressure test
with a tricky tiramisu...

ALVIN: I have to make sure
that I do it to the review.

..was the end
of the journey for Steph.

Give it up for Steph, everybody!

Then it was MasterChef
at the movies.



Favourite movie.
Speed.

Sandra Bullock fan?
Yes.

I would turn for that one.

(LAUGHS)

And Daniel created
an immunity-winning choc top.

That was an absolute cracker.
That bacon! (WHISTLES) Ooh!

..securing him the first spot
in the top 10.

Tonight, it's a massive elimination.

JULIE: I am feeling
quite under the pump.

They're headed to faraway places
with a very special guest chef.

# 'Cause you're hot,
then you're cold

# You're yes, then you're no

# You're in, then you're out

# You're up, then you're down



# You're wrong when it's right

# It's black and it's white

# We fight, we break up

# We kiss, we make up

# You're hot, then you're cold

# You're yes, then you're no

# You're in, then you're out

# You're up, then you're down. #

MICHAEL: Someone's going home.

SARAH: OK, the butterflies
are there now.

Hello, Julie.
Away we go again, hey?

There's always such crazy feelings

when walking into
the MasterChef kitchen.

Let's do this.

So I just really want to work hard,

make some amazing food...

Those heavy black aprons.

..and get through this cook.

Well...it's another
all-in elimination.

But today is very special

because today is the elimination

that will determine our top 10.

Aldo, you missed out
on top 10 last time.

How important is this cook for you
today?

Look, the cooking itself,
it's important

for representing myself as a cook
rather than the goal of top 10.

Yeah, I mean,
that all sounds really nice,

but, like, you're pushing people out
of the way to get to top 10, right?

Well, OK, guys, screw you all!
I need to get top 10 today.

ANDY: There it is.
(LAUGHTER)

There it is.

We know that you're all nervous
about what's to come,

but even on elimination day,
there is good to be found.

Today we're going to be joined by
a very special guest.

Oh!

This chef is beloved
in the culinary world

as a highly respected
author and presenter.

Oh, wow.

On top of that,
he's cooked and eaten

in almost every country imaginable,

and he is loved everywhere he goes.

Of course, it can only be one man.

Please welcome...

..Rick Stein.
No way!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Brilliant. Brilliant!

Jock, nice to see you.
Hi, Rick.

Mel.
Hello, Rick.

How are you?
Good, good.

That's freaking cool.

(WHISPERS) Oh, stop!

Everyone's jigging about.
Rick Stein's in the house.

What a joy to see you here
in the MasterChef kitchen.

(CHUCKLES) Look at your faces.

Rick Stein's India is something
that I think I've watched

about three times.

Like, I love that little
kitchen set-up

that you had
in the middle of the lake.

You know, it felt like
a piece of India,

but it was your little studio.

So hot there. So hot.

Yeah.

I think India is such sort of
enormous experience, you know?

They all are because, I mean,

when you're involved
in the cuisine of a country,

it's incredibly immersive

and you're sort of like there
and you're feeling everything.

Julie, you went nuts!

(LAUGHS)
Oh, hello!

I love Rick Stein.

I feel like I know you.

I feel like
you're part of my family.

And one of my favourite moments
was watching you make a fish curry,

and you tasted it on camera

and then just went,
"Oh, God, that's awful."

(LAUGHTER)

"Next time I'll do this different
and this different."

And I just thought that kind of
honesty, I just loved that.

I may do exactly the same today,
you never know.

Michael, what about you?

I didn't have a lot of, like,
food history in my family,

but watching you on TV
started me cooking.

My friends and I
retraced part of your trip

down the canals through France,

and we did part of the Canal du Midi

because of watching your series.

So this is really cool.

A great holiday that, in the canal.
Oh, yeah, so cool.

We couldn't believe our luck
you know?

We were being paid to do it as well.
Yeah.

(LAUGHTER)

Rick's food is definitely defined
by where he travels to.

Absolutely.

So today, that's your challenge.

We want you to cook us, and Rick,

a dish that transports us
to a place that you've been to.

Oh.

It could be your favourite
holiday destination.

It could be a dish that you remember

when you were travelling someplace
from your heritage

or even your home now.

But we want to taste that place
and that story on the plate.

This challenge is all about
travelling. I'm so excited.

Well, we mentioned
that there was a bit of good

to come out of today's elimination,

and that's because, Rick,
he's gonna cook for you guys.

Rick Stein is literally
going to cook live in front of us.

Rick Stein!

The dish I'm going to
cook for you today

is called a madras fish curry.

It comes from Tamil Nadu in India.

The thing is,
it's very simple, but...

I do talk too much
and I'm sorry about that.

So I need some help.

Does anyone want to
help...help Rick?

ALL: Yes!
Montana, I'm gonna choose you.

Come on.

I cannot believe
I'm cooking with Rick Stein.

Like, it's just
such a pinch-me moment.

What I want you to do
is make a pilau rice.

OK.
Right? And it's very simple.

Probably one of the best known
chefs in the world,

someone who I have learnt
so much from.

First of all, heat up the pan,

throw in the oil,
throw in the spices,

and then pour in the rice.

Then bring it all to the boil
and then cook for 10 minutes.

Cool.
OK?
I can do that.

You got this, Montana.
Got it.

Which means I can get on
and start my fish curry.

You just could never imagine
that this would happen in your life.

And here I am.

I'm cooking with Rick.

Often the case
with...with Indian curries,

we'd slow cook some onions
for about 10 minutes.

Of course, do what I say,
don't do what I do,

because I've started to cut
the onion the wrong way round.

(LAUGHTER)

It's something to do with
your Aussie onions, I think -

back to front, upside down.

MICHAEL: It's just so easy
for Rick to cook a dish

from a place he's visited years ago

while, you know, holding an audience
of people hanging on his every word.

I'm trying to think and speak.

It's like trying to tap your head
and do this at the same time.

I wish I could have
a bit of what Rick's having,

'cause everything fazes me
in this kitchen.

I need to learn how to relax
like Rick.

I just want to tell you
sort of a bit about this curry.

We were just travelling
down the coast of Tamil Nadu.

We got to this beach.

We went into this restaurant
and I just said to the guy,

"Have you got any fish on?"

And he came out

with a platter of lobster, kingfish

and what he called a white snapper,

all dead fresh.

So I just said, you know,
"What do you recommend?"

And he said, "Well, we'll make
this fish curry for you."

JULIE: While Rick is cooking this
dish, he's talking about India

and he's talking about

the place where he learned
how to make this curry.

And, you know, this is his gift.

He takes you with him.

Spices - yellow mustard seeds.
Mm.

Curry leaf.

Some Kashmir chilli powder.

And coriander seeds.

And it's such a flavour
of southern Indian cooking.

Oh, I can smell it.
Can you smell that?

Mm. Yeah.
It's just fab.

SARAH: The aromas
coming from the kitchen

are just transporting me
to India right now.

What is so important
is the tart element,

which is tomato, first of all.

And tamarind.

It's all those
Southern Indian flavours

that are inspiring me with my dish.

I'm thinking maybe crab xacuti,

just like the one that I had
on the first trip I made to Goa.

Right, Montana, slice these chillies
just into long sections.

Yep.

So I just need a bit of water there
because it is reducing very quickly.

Is that alright? Thin enough?
Throw 'em in.

Throw 'em in?
Good. Yeah, lovely.

Cheers. That's fantastic.

Smelling good, Rick.

So in go the fish.

OK, that is gonna take about
five minutes to cook now.

So now we're just going to
make the salad.

You can step down, if you like.
OK, I can go.

Thank you very much.
You're welcome.

Good on you, Mon.
Good one, Mon.

Go, Mon.

I'm so happy.

I mean, if I go home today,

I can walk out of here saying
I cooked alongside Rick Stein.

So definitely ticked off
the bucket list.

So here is what I consider to be

the perfect salad
for any Indian food.

It's called kachumber.

And basically it's just
a few tomatoes sliced up,

some onions, coriander, cumin
and cayenne pepper,

but also a little bit of vinegar.

Rick, he's given us a really good,
like, inspiration

about where we need to take him
and the judges today.

Just pick some coriander,
put it on the top there.

And I think the room
is spinning with ideas right now.

Right, the curry's
looking really special now.

Yeah.

I pronounce that good.

The perfume of spice is just taking
over the MasterChef kitchen.

I have to eat.

So there it is.

Madras fish curry, pilau rice
and kachumber salad.

(APPLAUSE)
So good.

Alright, who wants to have a try?

We all do.

Grab yourselves a bit of cutlery
and have a try.

It smells fantastic, doesn't it?

Let's get into it.

Try some myself.
Mm.

Honestly, I could just eat
a whole bowl of that.

Rick's dish is so beautiful,
full of flavour.

But at the same time,
it's so simple.

Could do a little bit hotter,
I think.

I probably would have thrown in
a few more curry leaves,

only 'cause I'm an addict.

Really special.

ALDO: The simple food,
that's the kind of food that I love.

So if I need to survive
this elimination,

I need to just bring them
to my happy place,

which is home.

Alright, everybody.

You're gonna have 75 minutes
to bring us your postcard dish.

And, of course, the pantry
and the garden are fully open.

If you create
the least impressive dish today,

unfortunately, it will send you home.

Top 10 beckons, my friends.

Rick, would you like to do
the honours, start them off?

Good luck, everyone.

Your time starts now.

Let's go, guys.

It's a great challenge.
It's based on travel.

Oh, sorry.
Sorry, Keyma.

And it's top 10. It's huge.

I mean, I feel lucky

that I'm still standing
next to these, you know, legends.

So I need to bring it.

I need to show that
I've come this far for a reason.

Today we're going to Italy.

My husband's half Italian.

So I've been travelling
back and forth to Italy,

specifically to the south of Italy.

And I'm making a hand-rolled pasta
called fileja.

It's made with semolina pasta.

And I'm planning to just go
very traditional today.

You don't mess with Italian food
if you're not Italian.

I don't want to make anyone...
anyone mad at me,

and I want to represent my nonna,

which is my, you know,
borrowed nonna.

I love her so much.
I miss her so much.

And, yeah, this is something
she taught me

and I do want to make it right.

Rick, firstly, thanks
for making us some snacks.

That was delicious.

It's fun.

I think standing in front of you
cooking for them

will be a memory for them now.

Yes.
Do you know what I mean?

They're probably going to make a fish
madras curry and recount the story

that they were on MasterChef and
Rick Stein came and cooked for them.

(LAUGHS)
No, honestly!

We were transported
to a different place

and that's what we're hoping for
today.

So interesting.
It's a great challenge, I must say.

Yeah, it's good.

They could be cooking from a memory
from Goa or from Gosford,

it doesn't really matter.

Goa or Gosford.
You know?

I think we're going to get
great food.

We are looking for a top 10, which
means we will be saying goodbye

to one of these amazing cooks
today, though.

Shall we go hear some stories,
find out what they're cooking?

Today I'm going to make cioppino,
a San Francisco seafood stew

that I had with Mum
looking out to the Bay at Alcatraz.

It's a memory that I love.

Coming second on my season,

it was...it was pretty deflating
standing next to mum and not win.

She's always been there for me.

So I'm gonna do her proud
with this dish.

But I think off the back of

not cooking fish so well
the other day in the team challenge,

I've got pressure on me to prove

that I can cook fish
for the judges today.

Hey, Michael. There's a fair
bit going on here.

There's a lot going on here.
Wow.

What's your postcard?

I took Mum to San Francisco.

Mum's favourite thing was cioppino
by the Bay at Fisherman's Pier.

Charred sourdough, dip it in,
just generous, seafoody.

Something a bit different.
No, I like it.

Your fish soup at the challenge
the other day...

Try to forget about that.

I was gonna say, what let you down,
sadly, was the cooking on the scampi.

But if you can get half as much
flavour that was in that,

I think you're on the right track,
mate.

Yeah. This is my way to recover.

How hungry are you for the top 10?
I'm really hungry, yeah.

Being runner-up, it's like you...

..if anyone's coming back to win,
it's you.

Yeah, don't let this dish be the one

that really does
bring you right down, 'cause...

No, I'm gonna be focused
and cook the seafood perfectly.
..top 10.

We love your food, mate.
We just want to see you do well.

Thank you.
Good luck.

Thanks, guys.
Good luck.

DANIEL: Good on you, Michael.
Let's go.

Thanks, Dan.

I'm just hoping for a good dish.

I think that's what I need
to get some momentum

going into that top 10.

JULIE: Today I'm going to cook
coq au vin.

I've given myself quite a big job
because this literally is

one of those rainy day cooks

that you would normally
take hours to do.

So I am feeling
quite under the pump.

Oh, this looks a bit familiar.

This looks European.
Oh, wow!

What have we got here, then?

Oh, coq au vin.

Coq au vin.
Spectacular.

You've probably heard this one
before,

but the other name for coq au vin
is 'love in a lorry'.

Well, it's 1989.

So tell us about your coq au vin.

My postcard memory is Mick -
that's my husband and I.

A few years ago, the two of us went
to Paris for a week,

and it rained the whole week.

But we discovered this beautiful
little restaurant

near us called Polidor.

And we went in and it was just
this beautiful, rustic,

provincial French food.

It was just so full of flavour.

And this little bistro, you know,
Ernest Hemingway used to write there

and all the students used to plan
the revolutions there.

And so it was just steeped
in history

and just wanted to bring you there
today.

She's getting me, you know.
I'm there, I'm there.

Rick's taking notes based
on your travel stories.

Beautiful.
What are you serving with?

This is a Paris mash in the making.

You know what Paris mash is?

There's no such dish.

It's an Australian version
of mashed potato

based on the magazine Paris Match.

Pomme puree, perhaps.

I'd like to taste.

So nice seeing some classic dishes,
you know, 'cause it's...
Absolutely.

Yeah.
It's what it's all about.

Absolutely.

I mean, you heard Rick. He felt like
he was on that trip with you.

That is the dream! Literally.

OK. Well, bring us a dream
on a plate, then.

Thank you. I will do my very best.
Good luck to you.

Cheers.

This day is just surreal.

I can't quite believe it.

You know Rick Stein
was being a bit naughty!

Alright, I'm going to cook this dish
all the time when I get home,

just so I can talk about this moment.

Rick Stein might be here,
but we want you guys to take us

around the world.

One hour to go.

(CHEERING FROM THE GANTRY)
Let's go, guys! Yeah!

Alvin!
ALVIN: Hi. Hi, Rick.

I am making a nasi lemak.

Oh, lovely.

There you go.
That's the response he wants.

Very simple.
It's literally rice and condiments.

I think that's what makes
Malaysian food so interesting,

is the condiments.
Yeah.

I love condiments.
Yes.

And it's a choice. Oh, gosh.

So there's a stall in Malaysia.

And when I took my partner there,
he said,

"You guys eat this for breakfast?"

And you said, "Yeah, we do!"
I said, "Yeah!"

Tommy!

Hello, hello.
Hi!

How are you?
Rick, nice to meet you, sir.

I see something I love.

I'm taking you to Vietnam
and I'm making banh khot today.

Oh, yes.

You know, tiny little
turmeric pancakes.

Have you had banh khot before?

No, I haven't.
Ooh, wow!

So that's a new one to me.

Can you... Does that blow your mind?
You described it.

It blows my mind that Rick Stein
is eating banh khot

the first time from me.

It's an honour.

Mindy!

Lots of ingredients I love here.

Mum and Dad gifted us a trip
to Singapore and Malaysia

and we were fortunate enough
to live there.

And the first thing that I felt
and smelled was hot coals

and street food and satay ayam.

It's cooking the... It's cooking
the satay as well, though.

I love it with the fans.

And the magic is in that whole
experience.

I just have to say, this is such
a good competition

because everybody is speaking
so passionately

about what they're making.

Good luck.
Thanks, guys.

Jules, you OK, mate?
Very fine.

Same same.
(LAUGHS)

You're going to get there.
We both will.

Hi, Sarah.

Rick, I just wanted to say it's such
an honour to have you in the kitchen.

Oh, thank you, Sarah.

I honestly have loved watching
all of your shows

and just the respect that you have
for the cultures.

And it's, yeah, so amazing to...

..to have you here.

Lovely to be here. Gosh.

Because you're here,
I have gone back to Goa.

And I am making a crab xacuti.

On one of my first trips to Goa,

I actually went out crab catching
with a local family.

We caught the crab and then came
straight up onto the riverbanks

and cooked it fresh
and made a crab xacuti.

So, all in one pot, everything,
sitting on the ground over a fire.

Amazing.

For me, my first out of Europe
experience of seafood

cooked with spice was Goa.

So I owe a great deal to Goa.

The things they do with fish there,
unbelievable.

I know, the fish is incredible.

Bring us that memory.

I hope I can replicate it.

Good luck.
Thank you. Thank you.

Cooking for Rick Stein,

there really isn't anywhere to hide
with this crab xacuti

because he knows what it's meant
to taste like.

With my crab marinating,
I need to nail all the flavours

in my gravy base.

DANIEL: Let's go, guys. (WHISTLES)

Yeah!

Nonna says that I don't cook Italian,
so...

They can be harsh, the nonnas,
can't they?

All Italians are, sorry, Jock.

MONTANA: The fact that it's just
me and Keyma from the Fans

competing against the ex contestants
is a huge achievement in itself.

And to make it to the top 10, I need
to make my best postcard dish,

but I haven't done a whole lot
of travel before

and, like, all these people have
such incredible food journeys.

So I'm just completely
out of my depth on this one.

Montana.
Hello.

Thanks for the cook this morning.
Oh!

Fill us in. What's the dish?

I don't have many, like, massive
food memories of travelling.

So my first thought was Christmas Day
with my family in New York.

We went to the Boathouse,

had, like, just classic
American-style, like,
Christmas dinner.

There's turkey, but we don't
have turkey in the pantry,

so we're going roast chicken, some
green beans, almonds, shallots,

a bit of lemon juice...
Lovely. And the gravy?

Yes. Gravy, always. Yeah.
Fab.

What do you think?
New York, Christmas?

Yeah.
Would you go there?

Have you done it?

Not for Christmas, but...be
quite novel, really, wouldn't it?

There's bound to be snow.

Definitely a special memory
for me, that's for sure.

I can see it. I can...

I can smell chestnuts
roasting in the street.
Fairytale New York, of course.

Absolutely.
Yeah.

For me, I think Christmas lunch
or Christmas dinner,

it has to be really rich, juicy.

It has all of the magic
of the romance

of Christmas in America.
Yeah.

So channel that today.
It sounds like a great dish.

Yay.
Good luck.
Good luck.

ALDO: Where did I put the garlic?

Here.

Sunday lunch in my Nonna's backyard.

It is always a feast.

We're starting from 1:30
in the afternoon.

We just drag until 7:00 at night,
and it doesn't stop.

Aldo.

You're in Naples,
in my Nonna's backyard,

at my Nonna's table, and you're
having eggplant, parmigiana...

You're having the meatballs...

So some meat...

So is it kind of two dishes
melded in one?

For meat, I'm going to ask you later
to do.

It's just cut the bread...

Slice of bread,
a slice of parmigiana,

the meatballs, cut it, sliced,

spread it on the bread
and eat it like that.

Actually?

Actually, that's the way
we eat it, mate.

That's how you eat it
at Nonna's house.

Yes.
I was quite excited.

But now you're talking about
putting it on a sandwich,

now I'm really excited.

Good luck, mate.
Thank you.

Take me on a trip
in a little rocket ship.

It's pretty bloody special
to have Rick Stein here.

To experience what we just
experienced in watching Rick cook

was so special.

Sort of makes me realise again
how lucky I am to be here.

On season seven,

I remember him coming and it's one
of my favourite days from then.

Fishmonger used to say to me
in Padstow, "You make your money

"by the sharpness of your knife,"

and you've done a good job there.

Thank you. That means a lot.

I came back to MasterChef,
not because I won that season,

but because I learned so much
meeting all of these famous chefs.

But season seven,
it's a long time ago,

so I highly doubt Rick Stein
remembers me.

Hi, Billie.
Hi.

Onion in my eyes.

Oh, my goodness.

It's not just the pure emotion of
having Rick once again in your life.

I tell you what, yeah. I know.

Thank you so much for coming back.

It's nice to see you again.
Very nice to see you again.

Recognised you. Had all the pictures
in my little green room.

So I recognised you.
Of course. Of course.

Tell us about the memory
that sparks this dish.

So, Hayden, my husband and I,
we did a bit of a Europe trip

a few years back now, and Spain
was easily my favourite food.

We had a lot of seafood and one
of the main ones I remember

is, like, a fisherman's stew.

So a tomato-based broth with some
mussels, some pipis, some prawns.

Fabulous.

Don't they love their seafood,
particularly in northern Spain?
They love their seafood. Yeah.

I come from a more regional area
here in Australia

and can't get a lot of seafood.

But yeah, it was a big eye opener
for me.

Fantastic. It sounds...sounds great.
Smells great.

Thank you. Thanks.
Good luck.

It's pretty cool
Rick Stein remembers me.

That, I think, is a bit of a kick
up the butt to, you know,

try and cook really well.

KEYMA: I have actually been avoiding
to cook Italian food because of Jock.

You know, he's half Italian,
so for me, it's a risk.

I mean, I'm not Italian,
but I'm definitely looking

to prove myself in this kitchen.

So I'm rolling my pasta.

It's called fileja, and in the sauce
I'm going to use 'nduja.

'Nduja is a soft, spicy pork sausage.

It's delicious!

Keyma! This is Rick.
Hi, Rick. Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

The postcard is from Italy today.
Oh, wow.

My husband's side of the family.

I've been...
We've been together for 15 years.

Yep.
So it's basically my family as well.

Where is your husband's family from?

They're from Calabria.

So, very small town.

Super... You know, farmers.

It's all around produce.

What is the dish today?

So today I'm planning to make a
hand-rolled pasta called fileja.

You know, chewy kind of, you know,
really bitey pasta.

And then a pasta sauce with 'nduja.

'Nduja is like one of those things,
like, sort of truffles.

You get it in a sauce
and you just say,

"Oh, that's the best sauce
I've ever tasted."

Absolutely.
I was watching Nonna making it.

It's just so simple.

And when I ate it, it was like,
"Oh, my gosh, what did you do!?"

I mean, it's...

That impression. Can you imagine if
you can elicit that from Rick Stein?

Yeah. Nice to meet you.
Wow. Fantastic. Yeah.

There's so much pressure.

This pasta dish,
it has to be perfect,

especially for Rick and Jock.

Otherwise I won't make it
into the top 10.

JOCK: The plane to wherever
we're going leaves in 30 minutes.

(CHEERING FROM THE GANTRY)
Let's go, guys! (WHISTLES)

(SIGHS)

MICHAEL: You OK?

Yeah.
You are gonna get it done.

I am gonna get it dooooooone.

Coq au vin -
the pressure is getting it done.

I've got my potatoes cooked,
mushroom, onions cooked,

I've got a sauce cooking down here.

I've really got to hustle
because this chicken's got to cook.

So I'm in a hurry now.

Officially.

JOCK: What's cooking?
Nasi lemak.

Ooh-hoo-hoo!

If I eat this, I feel like
I'm in the roadside again

with that Malaysian coffee.

Got the rendang daging.

I've got the nasi lemak done.

I've got some peanuts
and anchovy as crunch.
ANDY: Oh, yes!

I've got some pickled cucumber
and I'm just working on my eggs.

And if possible, if I can get you
guys to eat with your hands, I will.

You never know.

MINDY: My little satays
have to be grilled over the coals

because that's the only way to do it,

to get that authentic flavour
of the Orient.

MEL: Hey, Mindy.

You're gonna lend me
your fancy thing! Hello!

Yeah. Now it's working.

Whoo!

DANIEL: I feel like I'm there,
Mindy.

You are.

Love it, Mindy.

TOMMY: Today I'm making banh khot,

which is like a little Vietnamese
savoury pancake.

The batter has got coconut cream
to make it extra creamy.

You know, crispy on the outside,
fluffy on the inside.

There's pickled vegies
and crispy pork fat

to go on top of that as well.

Just so many different little
elements that make it so amazing.

Put a shrimp on the barbie, Tommy.

Chuck a shrimp on the barbie, mate.

Yes, Tommy.

25 minutes, yeah?

Yeah.

How you going, babe?

SARAH: Yeah, good, you?

Yeah.

Good.

I'm really happy with
the gravy base on my crab xacuti.

Yummy.

I'm getting a nice hit of tamarind
and chilli coming through.

(COUGHS) Oh, God!

It's spicy.

(SPLUTTERS)

It's going down my throat.

Oh.

(MINDY COUGHS)

It's getting you too!
(COUGHS, LAUGHS)

Oh, my God. All of us.

Everyone's getting the chilli.

JOCK: Sarah.
ANDY: Hey, Sarah.
Hello.

What's cooking?

I am making a crab xacuti.

I've marinated the crab.
Oh, yep.

And, yeah, made the base,
so, yeah,

just trying to bring in
those golden touches.
Sold on the idea.

Sold on the dish.

It comes down to that crab.

Because I trust you so much with
everything that's in front of you.

Yep.
Cooking of the crab
has to be spot on.

I need to be crazily diligent
with this crab.

The last possible thing
that I would want to do

is have undercooked crab.

And the second-last thing
would be overcooked crab.

I would be devastated if I went home
on a dish that means so much to me.

Feels like it's taking me back
to being on the riverbanks of Goa.

So to cook this for Rick Stein,

I really hope that he loves it.

DANIEL: Got about 20 minutes, guys.

Finish strong. It's nil all.

Let's go, eh? Let's gee up!

(LAUGHS)

Yeah!

TOMMY: Oh, Daniel!

Are you clapping yourself there?

Yeah, I was. 'Cause it looked like
no one else did, so...

MICHAEL: Good?
ALDO: Yeah.

Just cooking the meatballs now
and the eggplant.

Nice.

You got to cook the fish?

That's two minutes away.

Definitely have to impress
Rick Stein today

with a really flavour-packed dish

from my favourite travel memory
of all time.

And if I can pull it off,
I think it's one

that'll get me straight
into that top 10.

OK...

Hey, Michael.
Hi, Mel. Hi, Rick.

How are you?
We're here, Michael.

Oh, looks familiar.

Yeah, I'm making cioppino.
A seafood...

I think it's from some Italian
migrants who moved to San Francisco.

I just find that fascinating

the way food changes as it comes
into another culture.

I love it.

That's really true of Italian food
in California.

That's it.
It's different, but it's its own...

But it's delicious.
Yeah, yeah.

I took Mum away. My mum is my hero.

For me, it was an eating tour.
We went to Eleven Madison.

We went to Koi, went to Benno.

We went to the most amazing
restaurants in America.

But it's the cioppino that
you really, really loved.

It's so funny.

Well, really looking forward to it.
Too easy.

Seasoning is key today.
It's a favourite of mine too.

As per always.
Exactly. And cooking the fish
properly.

I know, I've recovered
from the other day.

Alright. I won't tell Rick
about that.

Oh, Rick, you don't want to know.
Cheers, Michael. Good luck.

Really appreciate it.

Headspace is super important.

So I'm really trying to channel
my inner Rick

and just chill the hell out
because he's just so relaxed.

Yum.

The broth is really nice.

The mussels are ready to go.

Now I need to cook this fish
absolutely perfectly.

You know, I'm here,
and I'm here to win.

ANDY: This challenge, they've really
taken this and ran with it.

Set by you.

I think that they're really inspired
by you.

What do you think?

Well, I'm thoroughly enjoying it

because people are absolutely
cooking from the heart.
Yeah.

I think there's some
sort of real, real stars.

I mean, the Vietnamese dish,
because I've never tasted it before.

Yes, banh khot.

So delicious.
That looks really, really special.

I love the look of Julie's
coq au vin.

I'm worried about the coq au vin

because it hasn't had an overnight
in red wine.

You know, a quick version of it?
Is that going to do it justice?

And Keyma's got, you know,
like, hand-rolled pasta,

which looks nice enough.
Yeah, yeah.

But then there's a classic sort of
pomodoro sauce.

I agree. I think if it's
a very simple sauce,

it needs to be exceptional
to really earn its place here.

Yeah, I got a couple.

Sarah's mud crab -
like, the dish sounds like a ten.

Yes.

But if she undercooks or overcooks
that mud crab,

you'll land in trouble.

And then also, Michael, purely
and simply because, you know,

in the team challenge, we saw him
serve us raw fish.

So is that going to play
in the back of his mind today?

Rick, anything worrying you?

I'm just a bit worried about
Montana's roast because we all...

..we all love a roast
and we all know about roasts.

Yeah.
And if it's not really special...

Yeah.
Yeah.

Especially when the field
is so rich with ideas and memories.

That's it.

(TIMER BEEPS)

Well, I'm loving the sights,
the smells and the stories in here.

But just 15 minutes to go.

Oh, 15 minutes!
Let's go! 15 minutes, come on!

Where's my hot pot?

Go, Jules.

Today I'm making a roast chicken
dinner that I had in New York

on Christmas Day with my family.

I've got my chicken and my pumpkin
roasting in the oven.

I've still got to do the green beans
and I've got my gravy reducing.

My chicken is cooked.

And the one thing that I really
remember from that Christmas dinner

was that perfect crispy roast skin.

Oh, God.

DANIEL: How is it, mate?
Um... I just...

I don't know.

(SIGHS ANXIOUSLY)

But the chicken, it's not
looking how I expected.

It's super blonde.

It's not quite right.

What temp have you got it at?

It's at 62.

I think the pumpkin in the oven
has been steaming

and left that skin on the chicken
soggy.

If I put it back in the oven
to crisp it up, it'll be overcooked.

So I just quickly decide
I'm going to take it off the crown

and pull up that skin and serve
crispy skin on the side.

(SIGHS ANXIOUSLY)

Aaagh!

This is so far from what I had
intended at the start of the day.

DANIEL: Come on, Mon.
MONTANA: Yeah.

I'm concerned. Definitely.

Aah!

I'm worried about the cook
on the chicken. Um...

So, I'm taking off the skin,

serving it sort of separately.

Yeah, I just don't know.

DANIEL: Come on, Mon.
Put some elbow in it.

DANIEL: I'm starting to get
a little bit worried for Montana.

MONTANA: Come on.

Not serving the chicken whole means

it's not going to look like
a traditional Christmas dinner.

MONTANA: Aaah!

And not having the crispy skin
on top of the chicken

is going to affect

the overall taste
and flavour of the dish.

You know, the skin
is the best part of the roast.

It's the one bit
that everyone fights over.

Just focus the energy on that.

You don't want that to be the thing,
you know?

Yeah.

BILLIE: How long, Dan?
Hey?

How long?
Uh, about 13 minutes.

13?
Yeah.

The seafood stew tastes really good.

I can get the paprika quite strongly.

It's pretty seafoody.

There's a lot of prawn flavour
in there.

Spanish through and through.

Now I'm gently poaching the prawns
in the broth.

And then...then I'm finished.

I think today is probably
the most important day

so far in this competition,

just to get into that top 10.

And I'm so close.

So, no room for error.

I think I'm good now.
I'm good now. I'm good now.

Good girl.

Hoo!

I'm feeling pretty good.

(PANTS) The chicken's cooked.

The sauce is good.

I'm just going to squeeze
this potato through one more time,

make sure it's nice and smooth.

I think I'm gonna
get it done on time.

DANIEL: Let's go, Julie.

Coming to the end of the cook
and I feel happy with

my coq au vin with a Paris mash.

It's what I visualised.
It's what I remember.

But I want to give myself

every minute on that clock

to make sure that this sauce

has as much flavour in it
as it can possibly have.

So, I'm gonna take it
right to the wire.

Rick Stein's taken me all over
the world with his cooking,

so I hope that I can take him
to Paris with mine.

Go, Julie Goodwin.
Thanks, mate.

Mick can come, too. (LAUGHS)

DANIEL: Let's go, guys.
You got eight minutes, eh? Let's go!

Just cooking my prawns and my fish.

The cioppino broth is beautiful.
It's ready to go.

The mussels are steamed.

I've taken the beards out.
They're looking great.

I've cut my fish into
four little bite-sized pieces,

so there's one
for each of the judges.

And I'm just gently poaching
the fish in the cioppino stock.

But I'm just a bit nervous.

Because my whole dish rests on
getting this cooked perfectly.

God!

It's not good.

And, um, I...honestly,
I don't know how,

but it's tough and just overcooked.

No good, man.

I'm not happy with it.

Time is running out, and it's
starting to really get to me.

Michael's freaking out!

I've cooked 1,000 fish,
1,000 different ways.

And I can't poach fish in a soup,
for some reason.

OK.

But I've got more fish
and I put them in.

I just really need to watch them.

If I can't cook this fish perfectly,

then the risk is that...

Well, it's not even a risk.
I'll be going home.

DANIEL: Let's go, Keyma.
About seven minutes, eh?

KEYMA: Yeah, yeah.

I have seven minutes to go.

I have my pasta drying

and I'm tasting the sauce
and I think it's nice.

It's pungent with the 'nduja flavour.

So, now I have to cook the pasta.

Fortunately, fresh pasta
cooks quickly.

I want to have the al dente bite,

but even...even more bite.

I mean, it's really nice
because of the chewiness of it.

And then I just finish the cooking
in the sauce.

It's looking like Nonna's, actually,
so I'm really excited.

I just hope that Jock
thinks that it's authentic

and he's transported to Calabria.

Five minutes to go!

DANIEL: Let's go, guys!
Five minutes!

Finish it off, guys! Let's go!

I think I'm gonna take it off.

ALDO: I'm ready.

I'm feeling so happy
and so confident about this dish.

Just the smell of
the Napoletana sauce

and the smell of
the fried eggplant...

Shut the door, mate. Shut the door.

..as well as the meatballs
and the bread,

so they can make a sandwich,

it's just bringing me back
into my Nonna's backyard.

SARAH: OK. Oh, it's good.

I've cooked the crab in the masala

and I think I've got
all those flavours there.

I am hoping, more than anything,

that this crab
is cooked all the way through.

Oh! It's bloody hard.

The crispy chicken skin
hasn't worked out.

So, I'm just really worried

because I'm not serving the judges

my postcard dish of a roast dinner.

I'm doing it as a plated dish.

I'm just adding a spoonful
of that pumpkin puree,

topping that with my chicken,

getting my green beans
on the side...

Ooh! Smoky.

..my crispy chicken skin on top,

and serving my gravy on the side.

I have this fear set in.

I just don't know
if I've hit the brief.

RICK STEIN: Final touches.

You've only got one minute to go.

JOCK: One minute! Come on, guys!

DANIEL: Let's go. Finish it up!

MICHAEL: It's...it's very close.

Just gonna let it keep cooking.

This should be, like,
the easiest cook ever.

And it's not.

I've overcooked four pieces of fish

and got my next four pieces
of fish in.

And I'm just testing
and testing them

and they're just not coming up
right, and I don't know why.

MEL: 30 seconds!

The judges will smash me
for not having fish in a fish stew.

They might be a little bit over.

So, I think I have to take the risk
of putting the fish on the plate

and just hoping that
it's, you know, up to scratch.

But it's not like the one
that I had in San Francisco.

So, I feel like I'm up that creek
without that paddle.

JOCK: Ten...

ALL: ..nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four, three,

two, one...

That's it!

(APPLAUSE)
Whoa!

(BOTH LAUGH)

I didn't know which one...way.

TOMMY: Rick mentioned he'd never
tasted this dish before,

and it's one of my favourite things
is serving people with dishes

that they've never had before,

and then they search
for it more and more.

MONTANA: Aagh!

JULIE: It's top 10 today.

This is a milestone
that we all want to get to.

You can see the pinnacle from there.

You can see the mountain top
from top 10.

Um, I very much want to stay.

But, obviously,
if my version of this classic

doesn't come up to the standards
of Rick Stein and the judges,

it could be me going home.

MINDY: Go, Billie.
ALDO: Go, Billie. Good luck.

I really want
this Spanish seafood stew

to be transportive
for the judges and Rick Stein.

Hello.
Hello.
Hi.

Hello.
Hello.

I think the colours of
that bright orange soup,

along with the fresh seafood,
and lots of it,

should hopefully take them to Spain.

Billie, what did you cook us today?

So, I did a Spanish shellfish stew.

Steamrolling your way
into the top 10, you think?

Ohhh! That'd be pretty alright.

That was goal...goal number one -
get to top 10.

And then, yeah...

ANDY: Then power on through.
..then just go from there, I guess.

Get the trophy and get outta here.
Get a new goal, you know?

Alright, Billie,
we're gonna taste it.

OK. Thank you so much.
Thanks, Billie.

Thanks, Rick.
Thanks.

Alright.

Oh, that's a serious soup,
innit, eh?

My God.

Mmm.

The flavour of seafood
in the stock...

Mmm...

..it's really good.

Oh, God!
It makes you smile.

I haven't tasted as good
a Spanish fish stew

since we were filming in Spain,

near El Bulli.

This is the real deal.
It's the real deal.

JOCK: The depth of flavour,
the complexity in the broth,

I mean, is...is phenomenal,
for 75 minutes.

This is the kind of food
that you remember for a lifetime.

You know what?

She's not in the room, but...

Like, Come on.

So good! SO good!

(SIGHS)
MINDY: Go, Aldo.

ALDO: Thank you, guys.

MEL: Aldo.

JOCK: Aldo!

Hello, hello, hello.

He's just brought the full loaf.
Hi!

Well, we gotta do it right, right?

MEL: Aldo, what's the dish, please?

It is my Nonna-style eggplant
parmigiana and classic meatballs.

Well, that is a part of a typical
feast on a Sunday lunch at Nonna's.

Wonderful. So, on the front
of this postcard, what do we see?

You can see the beautiful backyard,
of a long table.

You've got the chicken shed
with all the garden.

There's rocket
that, my Nonna, she grows,

and that's the best rocket
that I ever tasted in my life.

We're knocking on the door
of top 10,

Comparison between your season
and this season, what has changed?

I just think that the first time,
I got it wrong -

the concept of what MasterChef
meant to me.

And I also was scared
to express my feelings and what...

..what I can express with food.
Yeah.

Well, the food that you're producing
has been extraordinary.

So, you can plate up for us.

Sure.

JOCK: I'll have a sandwich,
like you were talking about, please.

Go for it.

Beautiful.
Is it open sandwich?

Open sandwich.

Enjoy. Thank you so much.
ANDY: Thanks, Aldo.

JOCK: Thanks, Aldo.
Thank you, Rick.
Cheers, Aldo.

MEL: It smells so good.

I'm gonna need to... I might need to
cut this into...a piece.

Oh, you're going there.

Aldo told me he'd be disappointed
if I used knives and forks.

RICK: Gosh, well, I'll...

..I'll drop it all down my shirt.

Yeah, I mean,
it's not gonna be pretty.

You know, today is just so good

because everybody is speaking
from the heart.

And talk about wolfing it down.

You know, it's just...
it's just, like,

sort of...a no-brainer, isn't it?

And, also - I'm being very selfish,

talking about the programs
I make, travelling around -

I was just thinking, "I need Aldo."

I want to get to...get to Campagna
and talk to him.

'Cause what the Italians can do
with a bit of cheese, tomato,

bit of eggplant - aubergine -

a bit of bread...

Fab!

You looked at me like I made up
the word 'eggplant', which I do not.

Yeah, I, like...
Yours is gone.

Yeah, well...

Yeah, wolfed, as you said, Rick.

That's such a good contrast

between, you know, the beautiful,
soft, silky eggplant in the middle.

It's just sucked up
all of that sauce,

and it makes it so rich and so good.

And then I knew he was gonna...
the meatball's a no-brainer for me.

I knew he was gonna smash that.

The way that he could just hand you
an open-faced sandwich of dreams

is a magical thing.

There is nothing
that you can fault this on.

It's delicious, from start to finish.

It is brilliant cooking.

And we've had the pleasure
of experiencing that from Aldo

time and time and time
and time and time again.

He's really leant into it,
this series,

which, you know, he was very
honest about - he just got it wrong.

Now he's got it right, it'll be very
interesting to see where he goes.

Yeah.

JOCK: Alright, Tommy,
what have you made us, mate?

Today, I've made banh khot for you.

Well, looking forward to it.

Oh, thank you.

ANDY: Wow.

RICK: Tommy.

I love that.

I haven't tasted it before.

So, tell me, is that a good one?

But will you again?
Oh, God, yes!

Well, there you go!
That's all you need to know!

(LAUGHS)

ANDY: Mindy.

MINDY: I've got a little satay ayam.

MEL: I think, when you come to
a satay sauce,

to achieve that depth of flavour

and that latent spice,

it takes a lot of skill.

RICK: I couldn't agree more.

JOCK: Alvin,
what have you made us make?

I made nasi lemak today.

Awesome.

RICK: To me,
if you wanted an example

of how a nasi lemak works,

that's it.
ANDY: Oh-ho!

This is really good.

Better with your hands.

RICK: Everything is in its place

and made by a master, I think.

Top 10?
Top 10, definitely.

All hail Alvin.

Welcome to the top 10.
MEL: Yep.

TOMMY: Good luck, Keyma.
ALDO: Go, Keyma.

Thank you.

I've been super nervous to bring
anything that is Italian to Jock

'cause I feel he knows...
he knows what it's supposed to be.

I just hope it's good.

I mean, and I hope
he's transported to Calabria.

MEL: Hey, Keyma.

What is the dish?

So, the dish today
is fileja alla 'nduja.

And where are you sending us
a postcard from?

Calabria and the beautiful coastal
city of Campora San Giovanni.

This is a dish
that comes from...from there.

Italian cuisine is the first time
I bring something like this,

so I'm quite nervous,
especially having Jock at the table,

bringing something
that is Italian.

You're not nervous having Rick Stein
in front of you, too?

No. I'm nervous about Jock.

I feel that because Jock, you know,
with his Italian heritage,

I've been really nervous to showcase
any Italian dishes at all,

you know, I'm not Italian,
I know, but...

Keyma, you should
never be afraid to bring a dish up.

You should never be afraid
to give me an Italian dish either.

I mean, that's crazy.

Like chefs,
when we work all over the world,

we learn how to cook cuisines
from other people,

whether they're from loved ones,
you know, spouses,

or whether they're from people
in the kitchen that we work with.

You know, you could
line up 100 Italians

and get them to make
a tomato sauce with pasta.

And you would have 100 variations.
So don't worry about...

Have 100 arguments.
Exactly.

Yeah.
And that's fine.

You should never be afraid...

Have a bit of a Caribbean twist
to it.

Exactly. Yeah.
You don't need to be afraid.

Nonna will be really mad at me.

I can hear her saying, "Keyma,
that's not the way to do it."

Hopefully,
it's true to what I remember.

If it's true to you,
then that's all that matters.
Yeah.

We're going to try now.
Thank you.

ANDY: Thanks, Keyma.
Thank you. Enjoy.

Thanks Keyma.
See you. I talk too much.

I thought it was really good.

I mean, I just love the pasta,

the sort of the toughness
of the pasta.

I mean, it's not...
it's almost not al dente.

It's tough, you know, and, you know,
it's just a good tomato sauce.

And then the 'nduja with the chilli
in it and the basil is just...

It all works.

To me, it works as Italian food
just very simple ingredients

and put together
with the sort of harmony

which we all love about the food
from that country, I think.
Yeah.

Keyma was very specific about the
texture that she wanted the pasta.

She said this needs to have bite
and almost a chew.

And you have that in this pasta.

Yeah. She knew what she was doing.

It's really delicious.

Honestly, I was worried.

You know,
I had everything crossed for her.

But talking about the pasta work,
she's done a great job.

Semolina pasta, non-egg.
Absolutely.

She got it in the oven
just to get...
It's really good.

It just reminds me of Sicily,
that pasta.

Do you know what I think
is that I think she's got respect

for another country's cuisine.
Big time.

It was sort of like she was,
you know,

a bit nervous about doing something,
which she's done really well.

Yeah.

ALVIN: Good luck, Julie.
Thank you.

So, normally when I make this dish,

I'm doing this beautiful,
long, slow-cooking process.

But I haven't had that luxury today.

And if I haven't brought
the flavour, I could be going home.

Julie Goodwin.

Hi.

(EXHALES LOUDLY)

That's a big sigh.
I'm just trying to breathe.

It's just such a big day.

This postcard is from Paris,

and it's from a trip
that I took there a few years ago

with my husband, Mick.

And it rained for the whole week,

but we still managed
to do a bunch of things.

I not only ate this
in a restaurant there,

I re-created it while I was there.

Because, similar to what you said,
Rick,

I think that food is an arrow
into the heart of any culture.

I'm thrilled to have come this far.

When I came back, I didn't know if
I'd make it through one elimination.

I felt like
I'd lost my love for cooking.

It's such a big part of how I speak
to the people that I love,

that I felt like I'd lost my ability
to communicate how I love people.

When we asked where your postcard
was going to be from today,

your face just lit up.

I look at your face now.
It's just...

It's all still there, Julie.

It's the same Julie
that won season one.

It's the same spark in your eye.

And it's such a beautiful thing
to see.

Alright. We're going to taste it.
Thank you.

Thanks, Jules.
Lovely to meet you.

(RICK CHUCKLES)

OK.

Coq au vin.

And the Paris mash.
Paris mash...tch

Gravy's got some muscle.

Yes. It has heft.

Heft.
(CHUCKLES)

Doesn't it, though?

I'm so happy about the way
MasterChef is going,

because this is, I mean,

this is where intelligence and
great giving is in food, I think.

It's just such a lovely dish.

And I was sort of thinking
as I did a series in France
not so long ago,

I think sometimes somebody
like Julie

does a better job than the French,
I have to say,

because it is made with such love.

There is so much character
in that sauce.

You would just want to go and eat
that again and again and again.

And some people have got it.
You know?

And she's got it, in spadefuls.

I am there in that bistro,
sitting with someone that I love,

watching the rain

and tucking into something
beautifully warm and comforting

with a dish like this.

Coq au vin, you know, classic.

And while the chicken didn't soak
overnight, it doesn't matter.

This is a really good version.

She put so much effort
into the red wine sauce.

It was so glossy
and beautifully finished.
Yeah.

Along with absolutely
perfectly cooked chicken,

which we've seen from her before.

But it still should be noted
the mash was silky, beautiful.

She knows the classics inside out,
back to front.

And this is just another example
of Julie. Julie Goodwin at her best.

Michael.
Hello. How are we?

Very well.
ANDY: Hey, mate.
Excellent.

What did you cook?

I made cioppino,
a San Francisco seafood stew.

It's just a happy food memory. Yeah.

Just sat by the bay,

the dock of the Bay Song
in the back of my mind.

You know, I think of that because
Mum and I talked about that song

while we ate this.
Nice.

You and your mum,
you seem really tight.
Yeah, we are.

Yeah, she's a pretty special lady.

She's my hero,
my favourite person in the world.

So, to cook something for her,
it's pretty special.

Yeah, but I've never
had an issue cooking this.

And I'll be honest with the fish,
I struggled with it a little bit.

I just think
I'm overthinking everything I do.

And it's me
putting pressure on myself.

Like, I've known you
for a long time.

I've seen you do amazing things
in the industry.

I don't think you would have come
to me four years ago

and scratching your head
over cooking a bit of fish.
No, never.

I mean, you know how to cook fish.

What you're not doing is allowing
yourself to naturally cook.

Mate, we'll taste now.
Enjoy.

Thank you very much.
Thank you.

It looks good.

He's worried, though.
Like, he's definitely worried.

He's very worried.

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Oh, dear.

Very interesting difference between
Billie and Michael, you know?

Very similar dish,
but that's as far as it goes.

The mussel was cooked beautifully.

The prawns cooked beautifully
as well.

But the cook on the fish
is perplexing.

I think the way it was cooked,

it was sitting in the stock

with the skin just sitting above
the line of the soup

and so, the flesh part's
sort of overcooked.

And the skin part has just been left
to tighten, which is a shame.

Yeah.

The basics weren't mastered today,

and I feel for him because I know
he can do better.

We know he can do better than this.

But this is what we have
to judge today.

ANDY: Oh, Mama.
(CHUCKLES)

Look at that thing.

Yeah, it's a big one.

Sarah, what have you made us?

So, I have made crab xacuti.

Did it make you more nervous today

knowing that Rick was going to be
judging you, not just us three?

Yeah, totally.

In saying that, I just know
your love of India.

And I just thought that...

..how could I not cook something
from India for you?

Lucky guy.
It's, um...

I hope you enjoy it.
Alright. Thanks, Sarah.

Thanks, Sarah.

If the crab's cooked perfectly,
this is...

It smells amazing.
Just as I'm sort of...
It does smell amazing.

There's Andy's.

Look at how gorgeous it is.

I say, this is a dish
for getting gloriously messy.

So good.
Oh, my God.

How are you going, Andy?

(LAUGHTER)

I've got already got
a little residue on my shirt.

You've also...

Lucky I moved.

(JOCK LAUGHS)

Is it safe?

I haven't even tasted it yet.

Oh, wait till you taste it.
It's brilliant.

I mean, worth it
for these glorious chunks.
It's lovely crab, isn't it?

It's very nice xacuti.
Very nice sauce, isn't it?

The gravy is just so complex,
so layered.

You know,
it's such a depth of flavour.

This is again,
we've seen it from Sarah.

Sarah really knows how to handle
a full palate of spices,

and she's not afraid
to use it, you know?

And she's been brave, you know?

I mean, to actually
go and cook a mud crab like that

and serve it up like this,
it takes a lot of bottle.

And the fact that it's virtually
impossible to eat it

just made us all laugh.

But when you do get some,
my gosh, that mud crab is good.

I haven't had a mud crab
that size cooked that well

for a very, very, very long time.

And that
is the impressive part of this.

I mean...look at this table

like, it's never been this messy
ever.

But I don't think we've ever been
this happy. So, job done, Sarah.

Good luck, Mon.
Thanks, guys.

Montana.
Hello.

Hello.

Big breath out.
Yes.

Montana. What'd you cook?

I cooked Christmas dinner, so.

Roast chicken, crispy chicken skin,
beans, pumpkin puree and gravy.

Take us to New York

when you're with your family
having a version of this dish.

Yeah. So, 2011, I was in grade nine.

It was the first, like, big overseas
trip that we did with my family.

And we did lunch at the Boathouse

and we had, like, turkey,
all the trimmings.

I sort of had to wrack my brain

to think about a memory
I had of food overseas.

And all of a sudden,
I just thought of this.

Well, we will put
you out of your misery.

I feel like
you want to get out of here.

Do you want to sauce up, and then
we'll...we'll taste your dish.

Sure.

It's not such a bad day.
Yeah.

You cooked with Rick Stein.
That's pretty great.
The start was wonderful.

That's off the bucket list now.
Yep. That's it. That's it.

Thanks, Montana.
Thank you. Thanks, guys.

OK. Jock, would you do us
the honours?

What do you think
about how it looks?

I mean, looking at it,
the first thing I'd say is,

well, I mean, where's the lovely
skin on the chicken, you know,

and it's no good
serving it up separately.

But it might
blow us away with flavour.
It could.

You know, the chicken breast
is cooked fine, the beans are great.

That gravy, it's really nice.

But the chicken skin, you know,

I don't know why she didn't serve it,
you know, with the skin on.

I wanted the whole crown.

We all waxed lyrical
about a great roast dinner

because it is great.

I just feel like Montana
missed the great part.

MEL: It does seem to lack
that sense of occasion.

Yeah, I just...

I feel like this challenge was about
taking us to that actual moment,

selling us the dream
on the postcard

where we were there with the family
having a Christmas roast.
Yeah.

And it's just not a Christmas roast.

I'm left wanting.

Today, through your food, we were
able to travel around the world

without our feet
even leaving the ground

and in the presence of a legend

you were all eager to impress.

And as a result,
we saw some phenomenal cooking.

Rick, it's been such an honour
to have you

back here in the MasterChef kitchen
and to have you cook for us as well.

I just loved it because
it's the sort of food I love to eat.

So, I was very impressed.

Let's give it up for Rick Stein,
everybody.

Yeah, Rick.
(CONTESTANTS WHISTLE)

Thanks, Rick.

Today we were searching
for the top 10,

and 10 was the number we saw
again and again and again.

Billie, 10 out of 10.

Thank you.

Tommy, 10 out of 10.

Aldo, 10 out of 10.

Mindy, Alvin, Julie, Keyma,
Sarah, 10 out of 10.

A postcard was the aim,

and almost all of your dishes were
picture perfect and sent with love.

Unfortunately, there were only two
that were stamped with flaws,

Michael and Montana.

Michael, your fish
was unevenly cooked.

Montana, everything on the plate was
fine, but nothing was extraordinary.

And although that dish transported
you back to a happy memory,

unfortunately
it didn't quite take us there.

But in the end it came down

to the fundamental consideration
of edibility.

So, the dish that is sending
its maker home today is Michael's.

ALVIN: Oh, no way.
Yeah.

It's alright.

Michael, you are absolutely, without
a doubt, a MasterChef superstar.

Thank you. It's been amazing.
I love MasterChef.

I loved it last time.
I loved it this time.

I came back
to do better than last time.

But, you know, very few people
get to, you know, lift that trophy.

And, yeah, I'm sad,
but I'll walk away smiling and happy

that I made so many amazing friends.

And, yeah,
I just want to thank everyone

because it's just been so special.

Well, speaking of those friends,
Daniel,

mate, he's been a mentor to you.

You know, we talk a bit
about my growth

and I owe a lot of that
to Michael in particular.

He's really taken me under his wing
quite a bit.

(CLEARS THROAT) Yeah. Gutted.

Yeah, mate,
I think it's very obvious

the impact you've had
on all of these guys.

Unfortunately, mate,
time to say goodbye.

Thanks, brother.

It's been a pleasure, man. Thank you
so much. I really enjoyed it.

It's my time to say goodbye.

And that's...

Yeah, it's earlier than I thought.

It's just been so much fun.

Seriously.
I love you guys.

MasterChef has given me a career.
It's given me a path in life.

You guys are great.

I didn't win...again.

But there's no point in walking out
this kitchen annoyed or sad

or anything but happy.

Alright. See you, guys.

(WHISTLING, CHEERING)

It... Yeah. It's the greatest thing
I ever did in my life.

ANNOUNCER: This week
on MasterChef Australia...

You are the top 10
of MasterChef 2022.

(CHEERING)

..the competition
kicks into high gear.

DANIEL: I can't take the foot off
the pedal. It doesn't back off now.

I've got to shoot for the stars,
I think.

What will they do
to win the pin...

I actually
might be in with a chance.

TOMMY: I think
I may be on to a winner.

..that could get them
all the way
to the finish line?

Captions by Red Bee Media